The 2026 Nissan Navara may be more expensive than the Mitsubishi Triton on which it’s based, but the company is promising better ride and handling – courtesy of a local suspension tune by engineering firm Premcar.
However, with the locally made shock absorbers being unique to Australian-market Navara utes, Nissan has revealed that dealerships will be required to fit the new suspension to each vehicle prior to delivery.
While the program will provide an “additional revenue stream” for Nissan dealerships – partly accounting for the higher price of the Navara – the company says the near-new shock absorbers removed from each vehicle will be scrapped.
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“When they remove the shocks, they have a standard process where it’s recommended they drain the oil [from the shock absorbers], dispose of it in the same way as they would engine oil in a car, and they send the shocks for metal recycling,” a spokesperson for the company told CarExpert.
The Nissan spokesperson said the approach aligns with the automaker’s sustainability policies, which per Nissan’s website have a focus on “reusing parts and components whenever possible, while recycling ensures the circulation of materials”.
According to Nissan, there’s a process in which the new South Australian-made shocks are sent to a dealership when a new Navara is ordered, so they can be fitted ahead of the customer taking delivery of the ute.
“They have a standard and very comprehensive process to install them – in line with fitting genuine accessories that are part of their pre-delivery process,” the spokesperson explained.
“The shocks that are removed do not go back into a warehouse or not sent somewhere else. They’ve already got some kilometres on them.
“So, they’re drained, the oil recycled or disposed of in the exact same way that engine oil and fluids are disposed of and recycled. And the steel and the components are recycled as well.”
Premcar has developed three different suspension tunes across the four Navara variants – one for the SL and ST, which use heavy-duty four-leaf springs, while the ST-X and Pro-4X (equipped with three-leaf springs) have tunes specifically for the 18-inch wheels and road-oriented tyres and 17-inch wheels with all-terrain tyres, respectively.